Circulating microRNA 9-3p and serum endocan as potential biomarkers for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Demographic and laboratory data of the study participants

Variables		Group I	Group II	Group III	P value
		HCC	Chronic liver disease	Control
		n = 35	n = 33	n = 32
Gender
Male, n (%)		30 (85.7)	23 (69.7)	27 (84.4)	NS
Female, n (%)		5 (14.3)	10 (30.3)	5 (15.6)
Age (yr)
mean ± SD		55.2 ± 5.2	52.7 ± 5.3	52.8 ± 5.6	NS
ALT (IU/L), median (IQR)		50.0 (35.0-55.0)	34.0 (28.0-50.0)	29.7 (23.5-31.7)	P < 0.001	aP = 0.005; bP < 0.001; cP = 0.003
AST (IU/L), median (IQR)		52.0 (39.0-70.0)	42.0 (32.0-57.0)	32.8 (30.0-36.0)	< 0.001	aP = 0.060; bP < 0.001; cP < 0.001
Hb (mg/dL), mean ± SD		13.1 ± 1.7	12.5 ± 1.6	13.5 ± 1.0	0.025	aP = 0.260; bP = 0.438; cP = 0.019
Platelets, (× 10³/μL), median (IQR)		141.0 (104.5-193.5)	162.0 (134.0-213.0)	197.5 (180.5-246.0)	0.002	aP = 0.225; bP < 0.001; cP = 0.022
Serum ALB (g/dL), mean ± SD		3.6 ± 0.7	3.8 ± 0.6	4.1 ± 0.4	0.001	aP = 0.382; bP = 0.001; cP = 0.050
INR, mean ± SD		1.3 ± 0.2	1.1 ± 0.4	0.8 ± 0.2	< 0.001	aP = 0.002; bP = 0.001; cP = 0.001
α-fetoprotein (ng/mL), median (IQR)		240.0 (28.2-635.0)	124.0 (108.9-166.0)	17.4 (14.0-24.0)	< 0.001	aP = 0.895; bP < 0.001; cP < 0.001
Endocan (pg/mL), median (IQR)		3450.0 (3188.5-4135.0)	1934.0 (1450.0-2257.0)	878.5 (850.0-1188.0)	< 0.001	aP < 0.001; bP < 0.001; cP = 0.001
microRNA 9-3p, median (IQR)		0.03 (0.02-0.05)	0.42 (0.29-1.35)	1.70 (1.40-2.15)	< 0.001	aP < 0.001; bP < 0.001; cP < 0.001

^aP: P value for comparing between HCC and chronic liver disease.

^bP: P value for comparing between HCC and control.

^cP: P value for comparing between chronic liver disease and control. Statistically significant at P ≤ 0.05. SD: Standard deviation; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; Hb: Hemoglobin; ALB: Albumin; INR: International normalized ratio; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; NS: Not significant; IQR: Interquartile range.